Issue 45: May 2005 - Youth Work Ireland

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The BeLonG TO Youth Projectby Michael Barron,BeLonG To Co-ordinatorPROJECTPROFILEIntroductionBeLonG To Youth Project was set-up in December2002 to work with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &Transgender (LGBT) young people in Ireland. Itsupports and resources young people, aged 14 – 23,to actively participate in the world around them andto make informed decisions which will positivelyimpact on their lives. As such, it is the first and onlyproject of its kind in the country.BeLonG To provides one-to-one and group supportfor young people to allow them to safely engagewith confidence building, personal development,peer support and making friends. It also affordsyoung people a space where they can experienceinclusion, acceptance, social justice, fun and safety.The project believe that youth work offers an idealopportunity for LGBT youth to address their issuesand concerns, while enabling them to participate asequal citizens in a society which would often denytheir rights.Identifying NeedsBeLonG To Youth Project was born out of an interagencyround table discussion, hosted by OutYouth,(which was a voluntary gay youth group run byyoung people and supported by Gay SwitchboardDublin) in April 2001. This discussion was convenedto explore the needs of LGBT youth. Theagencies involved were: OutYouth, OutHouse, GayMen’s Health Project, Gay Switchboard Dublin,Gay HIV Strategies, Parents Support, Union ofStudents of Ireland, National Lesbian and GayFederation and City of Dublin Youth ServicesBoard.The primary recommendation from this discussionwas to work to establish a comprehensive LGBTyouth service for the greater Dublin Area. As a resulta smaller interagency committee was establishedand set about drawing up a funding proposal to submitto the Department of Education. This group meton a monthly basis for 2 years. The work paid offhowever when, with the support of the City ofDublin Youth Services Board, the Departmentagreed to fund this youth project through the SpecialProgrammes for Youth Fund – making it the onlynew youth project funded by the Department lastyear.Work ProgrammeBeLonG To SundayThe BeLonG To Youth Project has been supportingand facilitating a meeting of LGBT young peopleeach Sunday called ‘BeLonG To Sunday’ The numbersof young people attending the group has variedfrom 15 – 35. A programme of social education andsupport is provided here to young people who inmany cases are unable to disclose their sexuality inany other environment. The group serves to positivelyaffirm all aspects of young people’s identities.It meets every Sunday at 3.30 in OUThouse,Dublin’s LGBT Community Centre, 105 Capel St.BeLonG Teen!A new under 18’s group, BeLonG Teen, has been setup for younger members of BeLonG To. LGBT peoplebetween 14 and 18 are welcome to this newgroup. BeLonG Teen is a relaxed and social groupand aims to make it easier for under 18’s to meet andmake friends their own age. The objectives andaim’s of BeLonG Teen similar to BeLonG To andthe groups are on at different times on Sundays somembers can attend both groups.At the moment BeLonG Teen meets every secondweek on the 1 st and 3 rd Sunday of each month andIrish Youth Work Scene 8 Issue 45, May, 2005
hopes that shortly it will meet every Sunday.The group is facilitated by Julian & Chris, twounder-18 youth facilitators and is working on a largeart piece at the moment, which will be exhibited aspart of the Pride celebrations in June as well asshowing some new photography work in The CivicOffices as part of the aLAF Festival.Youth Leadership TrainingThe project has trained and supported 6 young peopleto become group facilitators, enabling them todeliver programmes of peer education to young peopleeach Sunday. Peer support has proved to be themost effective form of affirmation and acceptancefor young people who are excluded from the mainstream.Individual WorkYoung people who phone or email the project oftencall in for an arranged chat with the youth worker.They talk in the café of OUThouse. Young peopleoften come for a chat before they attend one of ourgroup programmes – it’s kind of an easier first step.Young people also call in to confidentially talk aboutcertain issues that are going on for them.Exchanges with other LGBT Youth GroupsLast summer BeLonG To participated in a three-wayexchange with similar LGBT youth groups inManchester and Wigan. Because The BeLonG ToYouth Project is the only LGBT youth project in thecountry this opportunity provided a valuable educationaland affirmational opportunity for the membersof the project. This exchange proved to be asubstantial piece of work. The two groups fromEngland came to Dublin in July for 7 days andworked with BeLonG To on an extensive programme,which was designed by Irish and Englishyoung people in conjunction with their youth workers.In August The BeLonG To Youth Project travelledto Manchester and Wigan for the second leg,with a programme, which built on the work fromJuly and included performing as a group inManchester and exhibiting artwork in a gallerythere.Multi-cultural workThe LGBT community is becoming ever increasinglymulti-cultural and as a reflection of this BeLonGTo has worked with a significant number of‘Unaccompanied Minors’ – who are young nonnationalswho are seeking asylum in Ireland. Theproject has had to adapt to working in a differentway with these young people, by providing moreone-to-one work, by advocating on their behalf andby working with refugee legal and social work services.Playback DramaBeLonG To worked together with a Playback Dramateacher on a 10-week project which was based onthese young people telling stories about themselves.The idea was to allow young people who have generallybeen unheard to have their voice heard and tofeel accepted. This project was intensive, workingwith a small group of young people (6) and was digitallyrecorded and photographed. The young peopleinvolved reported that they had a lot of fun duringthe process and that it had a positive affect on theirself-esteem. We plan to do further Playback workwith other selected young people in the forthcomingyear.DanceYoung people were facilitated in a six-week danceproject, which culminated in a performance in frontof the larger group. We envisage that this was thebeing of a process which will be built on in thefuture.PhotographyBeLonG To are presently working on a self portraitphotography project. Working with a photographerto facilitate young people in taking photographs ofthemselves and their lives, isa process which allowsthem to examine issues such as self image, selfesteem and body image. BeLonG To believes thatthese are particularly important issues for LGBTyoung people and this project allows young people aspace where they can challenge their own (oftennegative) self image and receive positive affirmation.This project culminated in a major exhibitionwhich was featured on RTE News and in the nationalprinted press.Video and Magazine MakingYoung people were facilitated in a month longprocess of video making in partnership withLiberties College Media Department. The resourcewill act as introduction to the work of BeLonG To toyoung people who come for the first time. Youngpeople were facilitated by a journalist in the creationof a magazine which acts as a platform for LGBTIrish Youth Work Scene 9 Issue 45, May, 2005
Page 1 and 2: Issn: 0791-6302 Issue 45, May, 2005
Page 3 and 4: SERV ICEPROFILEThe Gaf Health Advic
Page 7: empirical information which would d
Page 11 and 12: Health & Nutrition Activities Suppl
Page 13 and 14: ice and pasta will make you put on
Page 15 and 16: ‘The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Sid
Page 17 and 18: New ResourcesADOLESCENT HEALTH &REL
Page 19 and 20: Notice Board“Drugs: Issues and Ex
Page 21 and 22: Policy & FundingTAOISEACH LAUNCHES
Page 23 and 24: Round UpDEVELOPMENT OF RECREATION P

Issue 45: May 2005 - Youth Work Ireland

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